Brought to the Goldstone from Midland League Boston United as cover for Walter Cook in August 1924, John Bunting had previously played for Grantham, Leicester City reserves and Nottingham Forest reserves. The experienced Cook was initially preferred beneath the bar, but Albion made a poor start to the 1924-25 campaign, conceding ten goals in the opening four matches and dropping into the lower half of the Southern Section, and the young deputy was soon given an opportunity to display his wares. John responded by keeping a clean sheet in his first two appearances as Albion set out on a fine sequence of four wins and a draw to climb to second spot, but two defeats followed and he returned to the ‘Lambs’.
At the end of the season he was given a free transfer and returned to the Midland League with Mansfield Town. Something of a dandy, John preferred to travel to away games dressed impeccably in a grey suit, black Homburg, grey spats and gloves, carrying a silver-mounted ebony cane and with his kit in a Gladstone bag!
John played 8 matches for the Seagulls in 1924-25.